Friday, August 1, 2014

Driving in the North and Oculus Rift DK2 support

We are happy to read mostly positive reactions to the ETS2 1.11 update. It's encouraging for the team to hear that you like the stuff we create and we sure look forward to bring you more goodies over time.

Meanwhile in our office, work on the next big Euro Truck Simulator 2 expansion continues on all fronts: roads and cities are getting built, new companies and cargos are getting created, new ferries and ports are getting opened. For now, check out some fresh images from the almost ready Växjö [ˈvɛkːˈɧøː] city.

Now it supports not only the DK1 model, but DK2 as well. The new added feature of DK2 - head tracking - works like a charm, so now it's possible to lean back and forth and rotate your head and it'll translate beautifully inside the truck interior. And the new feature from 1.11 update - Seat Adjustment - allows to make seat position just right for you for a very immersive experience.

Well, in that case I'll be that guy with pointing out what SCS said months back.''Meanwhile, work on the first stage of American Truck Simulator project is moving full steam ahead, and the focus of our blog during upcoming months is going to switch to showing you more of this game.''

Sure, they've showed us screens, but not a lot. And what is exeptionally weird is that some forums do have ATS screens, but SCS posts almost nothing about ATS on here.Making a blog post does not take a lot of time...

Please, develop ets2 and / or your next truck Simulation games for xbox one and PlayStation 4. I would love to play your games on console. You are awesome, guys. Keep it up and please, please make it happen.

No way that would ever run on a console... unless they would first optimize it for multi-core usage. As it is now, the game runs on one core regardless of how many you have so imagine using one console-grade core with ETS2 ;-)

^ Interesting point, but there's a workaround - key modifiers. So, for example, if you hold the triangle key, then the R1, R2 and L1, L2 keys get a different function, when you release it, they're back to their primary functions.

I think they did something similar in Train Simulator and also in Dragon Age: Origins, you could select a different set of actions when holding down one button.

@ Sir Cas Tick: What? I have a quad-core i7 which is seen by Windows as eight cores due to hyperthreading, and CPU usage for the ets2 process maxes out at around 25% for me, so that's at least two 'cores' in use.

Multiple thread support is different from multi-core support. You may have 8 "logical cores", but the way they work is as if you'd have 4 CPUs and each of them can do hyperthreading - run 2 threads. Now, ETS2 can handle 1 CPU with hyperthreading, but it can't handle more actual physical CPU cores.

So if Intel would come up with support for 4 threads per core somehow - that would work, but you'd still see 25% which is - full load for your one physical core.

Bottom line - hyperthreading is something that the physical core can do on its own, but spreading the work among other physical cores - that's what the software must support and ETS2 doesn't.

A thread is software and CPU core is hardware. Wats th deal..my game is either runnin on multi-cores or multi-threads it doesnt matter. Th most important thing is my game developed by SCS runs smooth on whatever rig I have and thanks to SCS..

@Sir Cas Tick: If what you said were true, then artificially restricting ETS2's processor affinity to one of each logical core pair, i.e. forcing it to run only on logical cores that belong to different physical cores, should result in the CPU usage maxing out at 12.5%. However, that is not the case; CPU usage still maxes out at 25%. As long as the game is allowed to run on at least two logical cores, it will divide its threads among any two of those cores, and because Windows' thread scheduler is hyperthreading-aware those will belong to different physical cores whenever possible to avoid performance issues.

In other words, the game does run on multiple cores when available, but it's limited to two of them, which is true of most modern games, really.

@Executor - Thank you, much better explanation than from the "Deer Lord" ;)

BTW, how reliable is the "Core temp" app? Because I just checked how much load it puts on the cores and while it seems that it displays only physical cores, it has shown that ETS2 puts about 25% load on... 2 of 4 cores (each). That's weird.

SCS + ProMods work well togerher.Just collaborate and come up with something we can pay for..do not spoil us with freebees and updates that you can accumulate and make us pay if you were you play your cards right..I believe in SCS Software and now with ProMods involved this just got better. Make us pay that complain.

Nothing is static.Everyone learns with each new project.SCS, Promods, TSM and many others - all new things are better than the old ones. (trucks, map, ... )It's a pleasure to see the development on both sides - developers and modders. And it's even more fun to see that they work very well togetheryou probably know, old points of the map are updated constantly. The process will take, but they are working on it - and that's great!Stay tuned and enjoy all whats coming up.When it comes to slow, just learn to mod and become a part of this great development. Everyone can be a part of development.

btw:The screens are awesome. I never traveled so far north - I only knew denmark - but the screens give me the feeling that it might look like this.

Good job, but will you ever start talking about adding a second point of articulation in the game engine?!!!! There is a big request on that, and you know it!!! Those who agree with this, please add a +1 here!! Come on guys!!!

We will see when the dlc comes.But I think it will look like the screens. Take a look at the colors on the truck - they are looking like they ever look like - don´t they?Maybe it could be that they want to show that the nature in the north looks different to other sides on the map ... like in spring after rain. The colors are very strong in spring, stronger than they look on the screens. In summer they get much brighter.

It is also very interesting for everyone who doesn´t live there. So please tell us in the future. :)In Germany there are many points where I would say that it gives me the feeling like I am in Germany, but also there are many points where I think that the immersion doesn´t come up. (Of course - I never forget that this is only a game :) )

Thank you for these great photos!! They look awesome!!! But I wish two things about this DLC :- You should make winter ( because Scandinavia is pretty cold and snowy)- Sweden and Norway should be completely there all the way North not just half or so.... PLEASETake your time and keep up with your brilliant work!

Great news! Anyways I will never buy Oculus Rift because of two things; First, company is owned by Facebook. Second, I do not want Oculus Rift to be a standard on its markets. We need real competition from other manufacturers.

John Haughey has a good point. If there isn't a pioneer, there will be no products related to the techonlogy in the future. As of now, there's others solution, Sony one's for example, althought it isn't as good as the Rift, it will improved over time.

Very nice details there, i love the scenery. But a suggestion: It would be nice if you could haul fuel from a depot to a gas station and empty it and bring the trailer back. Thank you for the support for this great game SCS!

SCS im sick of freebees..just think out of the box and make me pay. Your generosity is annoying me big time. Just come up with something and make me pay. ATS, ECS, ETS2 DLC, etc.. jst make me pay please.

Making a truck is not done by hitting F5 and get angry if the truck doesn´t come. There is much work about it and maybe there are other things to work on first - like the next dlc and earn some money with it to develope like in the past.

If this isn´t your way and you allready got fucking angry, be true to yourself, deinstall the program and find a better hobby. Fishing could be good to you - practise patience! :D

In the update 1.12 they should add all the new trucks that are currenly out, the 3 emergency sevices, car accidents, seasons, more types of weather including floods, and many more roads, e.g side roads and dead ends, there should also be road closures. As well as this they should put on real life traffic on roads. Another city you could add would be Monaco. I would also like to see real business like Tesco, Argos and Royal Mail. To personalize your trucks you should have your company logo on the door of your trucks and on garage doors. All in all though the most recent update was great.

"" "" "For the love of God" "" ", the sound, the sound of cade inside, make a useful item, please open the windows to hear the external sound within Gabine. Did not find anything different in the sound last update.

is far out external sound of the internal, and the sound of the engine brake is very high, is ridiculous.

on the glasses, we would not need to spend it if do have more functioning for signs of direction. When stopping on a block by connecting the signal to the right or left, do have a function to trigger the head mode. When loading the moving truck and go around the steering automatically turns aa vision within Gabine, around the curve and turn off the direction signal, disables the function and returns to the original position of vision., Would be great.

In short, I'm not the only guy who complains, like much of the work of you. But the sound at first.

He says he's not the only guy who complain, but he does it in style and always wear cool glasses. Another thing that sets him apart from the other complainers is that he only complain with sound, and sometimes also use his glasses to send signals.

wooow, fantastic work SCS !! i have an only complain now, the initial map looks poor compaired to this or Go East. Could make something to repair this in the upcoming patch ?

Update 1.11 is a way to show us respect and devotion... thx for seat adjuster and all other additions, hope that 1.12 will be the same, and hope also to continuing studying and working to the trucks physics. At least once more speed for the window washers would be awesome too, ... maps, prefab preetyfications and enrichment. in the main area.

Since amiricans really can't create much with their broken keyboards and dialup-modems they must (as always) rely on their more talented and creative slaves to do the hard work for them. In this case it's the europeans that are supposed to create a truck simulator for the amiricans to enjoy. I say: If amiricans need a simulator, then they should create it themselves. Simple as that.

If you had any sense at all, you would see that some of the European trucks are the best in the world......kind regards!!!!!.......ohh I like peters, macks and kennys but can't beat a scania v8 or the good ole straight six Volvo.....

An automatic 'look at apex' would be nice for version 1.1.2, like most racing games have. It makes cornering a lot easier when you do not have head tracking. I do recommend head tracking like FreeTrack (or expensive TrackIR): makes driving easier and gives a tiny bit of Oculus Rift feeling because you can look around easily.

All your recent work done is really amazing. I'm only curious about deadlines for completion of work, because like in all the companies there are always some deadlines. I know that you don't want to write it, because of the people who are always accountable and are very demanding. But it would be nice if you could only write: autumn, winter, spring, summer 2014, 2015 etc... I know that sometimes it is hard for you to predict the completion date, but it is undeniable that already have a lot of experience in game development, so you could tell us a little bit about dates.

Well you can get ProMods cause they have cities in Finland and btw from ProMods V1.01 to V1.62 there was only 2 Finnish cities but now in ProMods V1.7, there will be 8 new Finnish cities like Kuopio, Lahti, Porvoo, Tampere, Hämeenlinna, and more.

Hi Can you just show some photos of the DAF?We're all interested how it'll look like in the game. I hope this DLC gets bigger than 'Going East' and goes all the way to the North. I think we all would be satisfied if you could make winter.

I drive through Växjö from time to time... Looks just like home, very good work I'd say from those pictures. Hope you nail the atmosphere with the countryside as well! Looking forward to the next big expansion due north! Thanks for providing so much enjoyment with this game.

It´s so nice to have Google Street View.You can jump thousand of miles in seconds and have a look.Nice town. :)Driving around ... ^^https://www.google.com/maps/@56.852258,14.859233,3a,75y,129.28h,88.03t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s8E5XME-_fzatKubGaIZRDQ!2e0!6m1!1e1

Yep, google street view is nice! :DDetails like the red house and the appartments in picture 1 and 3 is what makes the whole difference, adds immensely to the atmosphere. Keep up the good work!Here's what I mean (compare with pic 1 and 3):https://www.google.com/maps/@56.888631,14.78605,3a,75y,59.7h,86.33t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1spcbPX2zq1WEeUGkK5o06uQ!2e0

Has anyone else had problems in the 1.11 update with driving out of the quarry using a 6x2/4 chassis? my drive wheels lose traction and spin, I am unable to make it out without calling service, issue seems to happen at all the quarries, make of truck and transmission settings don't seem to have any effect, and a friend has the same issue.

please make it possible for us to drive 25.25 meter combinations, if you have a rigid truck you could use a tandem for rest of europe then a dolly-trailer for northen parts. also a link combination could be used with the regular tractor truck

25.25m,link and tandem combinations wont be able to work in ETS2 as the game engine dont support it and remaking the engine will take 1-2 years. but SCS have said that if they will make ETS3 then 25.25,link and tandem will be in the game.

I love that you're supporting the Oculus Rift, and hope that you will also support the consumer release when it releases. Good to hear some new cargo will come as well, and I'm really looking forward to the Northern DLC.

Amazing !!! Superb !!! there is no other Truck Sim like ETS2 and never will be !!! I live in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, I am a real truck driver, I own a 370 HP Volkswagen sleeper Truck-tractor 6x2 and a van semi-trailer that I drive. The ETS2 gives me the opportunity to train parking maneuvers and I have lots of fun playing this incredible sim. The realism is very very very close to the real life. The experience is unique and it is better with G27 wheel and TrackIR. But I cannot imagine how intense will be with Oculus Rift !

People on SCS don´t need to eat and they don´t have to pay to employees, nothing. One day they woke up and said: hey, let´s make a videogame and work all life for free, we don´t want that some stupi bastards spent their money with us so they can have money to smoke and drink or whatever.....

Could you please make AI vehicles stop overtaking on the wrong side?Yes trucks are slow, but it's illegal to overtake on the slow lane(s) in most European countries! It often feels more like an arcade race than like a highway.

Hi SCS guys , it will be also very nice , if it's possible to drive small trucks or van as we can see the ones drivent by AI actually not only trucks , to haul small cargo not only pulling long trailers.

please make a new trucks the new mercedes, DAF, Renault...it will be very nice to make a smaller trucks like TGS, TGE....and an emergency vehicles, add more realistic exit from higway to restplaces...realistic company for gasstations...

Why not? , There are larger vans used as well as trucks to transport merchandise , so i don't see why you think that will be not nice to drive one on the game , that can be used for short distance just in a country and not for international instead of trucks much suitable for long distance such as from Helsinki to Nantes in France.

The only or maybe two issues of scs softwares map is the unrealistic highways. At least in germany there isnt a highway where you can drive only 80kmh because of the strength of the curve. I think the problem here is if they are smoothing the curves on the highways there isnt a reason anymore for the gps systen to navigate you to normal roads. That was maybe a design mistake from the beginning of the development for ets2. i wish for the future of the ETS Series that they will make one day a bigger europemap with more cities if their sales goes better and better..

A good example how relative straight highways can work in combination with normal roads is the Hungary Map for ETS2. It is incredible realistic and for me the most detailed map ever designed. Here is a video from a little older version of the hungary map. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJgeN--swxc

the actual version of the map (actually 45cities - goal 300)works only with the update 1.10.01.09. for those who want to give it a try you can downgrade the update in steam.

SCS Software

Take a look under the hood! SCS Software - makers of vehicle simulation games including 18 Wheels of Steel Series, Bus Driver, and Euro Truck Simulator. Currently working hard on Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator.